Combined table and bench assembly



Sept. 20, 1966 K. L. DEAVERS COMBINED TABLE AND BENCH ASSEMBLY FiledOct. 14, 1964 INVENTOR. KENNETH L. DEAVERS ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,273,936 COMBINED TABLE AND BENCH ASSEMBLY KennethL. Deavers, Eckstine Road, Rte. 1, Box 29, Williarnsport, Md. Filed Oct.14, 1964, Ser. No. 403,839 2 Claims. (Cl. 297159) This inventionpertains to a novel article of furniture which combines a table andseat. The novel furniture of this invention may be considered in thepicnic table variety in which an elongated table is combined withusually backless seats or benches.

The art has recognized some of the inherent advantages of providingtubular-type metal supports for the table and/ or bench portions ofpicnic-type tables, especially the possibility for simplifyingmanufacturing and assembling techniques. Also, such tubular-metalsupported tables often are collapsible to minimize the space needed forstorage.

The furniture of this invention overcomes a number of disadvantagesfound in prior art devices of this type. For one thing it provides abench or benches which can 'be moved from a position underlapping thetable, which position is the most comfortable for eating at the table,to a position of non-underlapping which is the most comfortable forgoing to and leaving the table. Further, the furniture of this inventioncan be collapsed for storage in a manner superior to known tables in anumber of respects. For example, the legs fold inwardly for collapsingthe table and the benches remain in the same longitudinal relation withthe table as before folding. Thus in storage the table and benchcombination may occupy a space no longer than the table itself. Theinvention also provides for basically two folded or collapsed positionshereinafter referred to as positions A and B. Folded position A providesa combination which is of a width only sllightly greater than the widthof the table alone and folded position B provides a more nearlyfiat-folded position. The invention avoids substantial disassembly ofthe table when collapsing is called for and can provide for a singlefastener to determine the open or closed position.

In this invention leg members, preferably tubular, are provided near theends of the table. The leg members are shaped generally in the form of aG to provide three horizontal levels, an upper level for support of thetable, an intermediate level for support of the bench and a telescopinglower level to rest on the floor or ground. Movement of the bench from aposition underlapping the table to a position remote from the table isprovided by telescoping the lower horizontal portion. Collapse of thetable is provided by so supporting the table on the upper horizontalportion at each end that this portion, and with its the entire legbracket, may rotate toward the center of the table. The bench issupported at each end by the intermediate horizontal portion of the legmember in such fashion that this portion may slide under the benchtoward the center during collapse of the furniture. Struts fastened atone end to each leg member are used to prevent collapse of the furnitureby fastening their other ends to the bottom of the table.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing in which FIGURE 1 is a side view of the furniture in the openposition;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the furniture at a midway point in itsfolding to collapsed position A, with the elements in collapsed positionA shown in phantom lines;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the table and benches in collapsed positionB;

3,273,936 Patented Sept. 20, 1966 FIGURE 4 is an end View of thefurniture with one bench in the remote or entrance position, the otherbench in the proximate or seated position and folded position B shown inphantom lines; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along the line 5-5 ofFIGURE 1.

As can be seen, the furniture comprises the table 11, and benches 13 and15. The table and bench or benches are usually made of wood but theinvention contemplates use of other suitable materials as well. Fourtubular leg members 18, 20, 22 and 25 are provided and, as can be seen,especially in FIGURE 4, these leg members have, in general, the shape ofthe letter G, which provides an upper horizontal portion 28, anintermediate horizontal portion 29, a lower horizontal portion 30, along, table height vertical portion 33 and a shorter bench heightportion 36. As can be seen, intermediate horizontal portions 29 supportthe benches 13 and 15 while upper horizontal portions 28 support thetable-top 11 and lower horizontal portions 30 rest on the floor orground. The leg members 18, 20, 22 and 25 are arranged in pairs withtheir long vertical portions 33 proximate to each other and with eachpair of members vertically arranged near each end of the table in theopen position.

Pins 39 and 42 pass through adjacent long vertical portions 33 near thelower end and serve to hold the ends of struts 4 and 48 revolvablybetween the vertical portions 33. In the open position, for example, inFIGURE 1, the other ends of these struts meet at about the center of theunderside of table 11 and my be fastened to each other and to the tableby any suitable means, for example, the bolt and wing-nut 50'.

Upper horizontal portions 28 of the G-shaped leg members are revolvablyfastened to the underside of table 11, for instance by brackets 52. Theundersides of benches 13 and 15 are provided with the elongated channelmembers 55. As can be seen, especially from FIGURE 5, these channelmembers provide a slot 57 for passage of the axle 60 of roller 63. Thisaxle may be fastened by any suitable means to the intermediatehorizontal portion 29 of the G-shaped leg members, for example,resilient plug 66 may receive axle 57 and in turn be received by theopen end of tubular leg members 18, 20, 22 and 25, thus permittingroller 63 to roll within channel member 55 and intermediate horizontalmembers 29 to slide along the undersides of benches 13 and 15 duringopening and closing of the furniture. Channel members 55 extend at leastfrom a position on the underside of benches 13 and 15 vertically alignedwith brackets 52 toward the center of the inner edge of each bench-es 13and 15, a distance about equal to or greater than the difference inheight of vertical portions 33 and 36.

An important feature of the present invention is the telescopingstructure of the lower horizontal members 30. In the embodiments shown,this structure is provided by making the members 18, 20, 22 and 25 intwo pieces, one of which fits inside the other. Pins 70 may be fastenedto the lower horizontal portions 30 and also be biased by springs 72, tokeep alignment, in either the bench-extended or bench-contractedpositions, between holes which pass completely or partially through eachof the tubular sections into which lower horizontal portions 30 aredivided.

The mechanisms by which the novel furniture of this invention may be putinto the collapsed positions A or B is as follows:

If it be that in the open position of FIGURE 1 the benches 13 and 15 arein the contracted positions, as illustrated by the position of bench 15in FIGURE 4, the nut 50 may be removed, preferably after the table hasbeen turned over. The inner ends of struts 44 and 48 may be removed fromthe bolt and the free ends of the struts drawn toward the opposite endof the table 11 from the attached end of each strut. This movement drawspins 39 and 42 inwardly and causes long vertical portions 33 and upperhorizontal portions 28 of the leg frame structures to revolve inwardlytoward the center of the table within the brackets 52, In this revolvingaction, intermediate horizontal portions 29 are also pulled inwardly andthey slide along the bottom of benches 13 and 15 while the roller 63rolls inwardly within channel 55. During this revolution, benches 13 and15 approach the plane of table 11 and come to rest finally on theunderside of the table in the A position shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. Ascan be seen, the struts rest fairly securely under the G-shape legmembers in this collapsed position. The nut 50 may be placed back on itsbolt to prevent being lost.

In collapsed position B the benches 13 and 15 do not overlap the table11 but their upper surface comes into the plane of the upper surface oftable 11, as shown in phantom lines in FIGURE 4, so that the collapsedfurniture is wider, but the lower horizontal portions 30 of the legmembers 18, 20, 22 and 25 are closer to the underside of the table 11 toprovide a thinner collapsed shape. To assume position B, the benches areput in the extended position illustrated by the position of bench 13 inFIG- URE 4 and the procedure is conducted as before. In this instance,however, roller 63 can travel further within channel member 55.

The leg members are usually circular in cross-section but may be ofother shapes, e.g., square, except usually in the upper and intermediatehorizontal portions. Also, the leg members can be solid except for thetelescoping lower horizontal portions.

It is claimed:

1. A collapsible article of furniture of the picnic-table type having atable and a bench supported at each end thereof by a G-shaped leg memberwhich provides an upper horizontal portion supporting said table androtatable thereunder, and an intermediate horizontal portion supportingsaid bench and slidable thereunder, said leg members having atelescoping lower horizontal portion to provide for movement of saidbench from a position underlapping said table to a position remote fromsaid table.

2. The furniture of claim 1 wherein struts attached at one end of thestrut to said leg members are fastened at the other end to the undersideof said table to prevent collapse.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,568,622 9/ 1951Hagen 297159 2,670,031 2/1954 Melges 297157 X 2,673,595 3/1954 Kump297172 2,690,210 9/1954 Holick 297159 2,722,971 11/1955 Gallagher et al.297440 X 2,732,007 1/ 1956 MacWhirter 297172 2,811,197 10/ 1957 Nimrno297159 2,849,053 8/1958 Beller et al 297159 2,939,516 6/1960 Drew 2971593,112,945 12/ 1963 Kanitz 297159 FOREIGN PATENTS 145,526 3/ 1952Australia.

506,225 10/ 1954 Canada.

432,257 9/1911 France. 1,065,264 1/1959 France. 1,089,979 10/1954France.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

I. T. MCCALL, Assistant Examiner.

1. A COLLAPSIBLE ARTICLE OF FURNITURE OF THE PICNIC-TABLE TYPE HAVING ATABLE AND A BENCH SUPPORTED AT EACH END THEREOF BY A G-SHAPED LEG MEMBERWHICH PROVIDES AN UPPER HORIZONTAL PORTION SUPPORTING SAID TABLE ANDROTATABLE THEREUNDER, AND AN INTERMEDIATE HORIZONTAL PORTION SUPPORTINGSAID BENCH AND SLIDABLE THEREUNDER, SAID LEG MEMBERS HAVING ATELESCOPING LOWER HORIZONTAL PORTION TO PROVIDE FOR MOVEMENT OF SAIDBENCH FROM A POSITION UNDERLAPPING SAID TABLE TO A POSITION REMOTE FROMSAID TABLE.